Category: Information & advice

From all of us here at Contact, we want to wish all our families a very Happy Christmas!

We hope you’re enjoying the holidays. But remember, if you’re looking for help while our helpline is closed until Tuesday 2 January 2024, you’ll find lots of advice and support on our website.

Our Chatbot Charlie can help guide you through our online information and advice so you find the support you need quickly and easily, whenever you need it – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Look out for Charlie at the bottom of our website on the right hand side.

Happy Christmas everyone!

The government has finally responded to the recommendations of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review following the abuse of children with complex health needs and disabilities at residential homes in Doncaster run by the Hesley Group between 2018 and 2021.

The Child Safeguarding Review found a culture of abuse and harm. Looking at the experiences of 108 children and young adults, it found “systematic and sustained” abuse and neglect over a period of more than three years, with the safety net that should have protected them proving ineffective. The review set out far-reaching recommendations for central and local government and other agencies, proposing wide-ranging changes to policy and practice to improve the safety, support, and outcomes for disabled children with complex health needs in residential care.

The Government response published this week sets out the steps that the Government are taking to address the failings identified by the review and its views on the recommendations made by the review panel.

Meagan Leggett, Interim Director of Family Support at Contact said:

“This is a sad reminder of the avoidable suffering of disabled children, so gut-wrenchingly awful. Inevitably the timing of the response prompts questions about attempting to bury it on the eve of Christmas.

Whilst the government has accepted ‘in principle’ all recommendations it is disappointing there are no timescales for change.  We will want to see what concrete progress being made early in 2024 especially around strengthening of advocacy for children in residential care”

Read the full response on gov.uk

Our helpline will be closed from 5pm on Friday 22 December, and will re-open on Tuesday 2 January 2024 from 10:15am – 5pm.

If you need to speak to someone when our helpline is closed over Christmas, the following organisations may be helpful:

Sending emails, web forms and asking queries on our social media pages and private Facebook group

Many parents choose to send us helpline emails, submit a website enquiry or post on our Facebook and Twitter pages. These pages and email accounts will be unmoderated during the same period as our helpline closure. If you ask a query during this period, we’ll respond as soon as we can after our office reopens on 2 January 2024.

Whilst the helpline is closed, you can find lots of advice and support on our website. You can use Charlie the Chatbot, who lives on the bottom right-hand side of our website. Charlie can guide you through our information and advice quickly and easily, whenever you need it – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The government’s annual Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Statistics show that 98% of parents win on appeal once they get to tribunal – meaning that just 2 per cent of refusals by councils to provide SEND support were upheld in tribunal decisions last year.

At the same time the number of SEND tribunals has gone up by a record 24 per cent.

Earlier this year we told you about a report by Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) and Pro Bono Economics which found that lost SEND tribunals cost taxpayers £60 million in 2021-22.

The statistics published by the government today show that the situation has got even worse.

Anna Bird, Contact’s CEO and Chair of the Disabled Children’s Partnership says: “Even more parents are having to go through the expense and stress of a Tribunal hearing despite Tribunals finding in their favour in a staggering 98% of cases. 

“This shows the system is fundamentally broken.  The government and local councils must take action to make sure the right, lawful decisions are made first time, so that parents do not have to take legal action to get the support their children need and are entitled to, and to prevent this needless waste of public money.”

The statistics published today illustrate what we at Contact already know: that parents know what support their children need, and have to fight tooth and nail to get it.

The DCP is calling for government to ringfence resources for early information, advice and support for parents navigating the system; better training for local council staff so they make the right, lawful decisions first time and stronger accountability.

Information for affected families

Find out how to get an EHC plan for your child.

If you disagree with a council’s decision about an EHC needs assessment or EHC plan, read our advice on mediation and appeals to the SEND Tribunal.

It’s officially ‘cold and flu season’ and while most colds are mild, some can become quite serious. RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is one of the most common viral causes of coughs and colds in winter. It’s highly infectious, and the main cause of breathing difficulties (bronchiolitis) in babies and young children.

Most colds caused by RSV result in mild symptoms of bronchiolitis. In more serious cases, babies and children can become unwell with breathing difficulties and need to go to hospital.

Our RSV resources

It’s important to know how to identify RSV and when to get emergency care. We have lots of resources to help.

Watch our short animation about RSV and bronchiolitis to help you spot the signs and symptoms in your baby or toddler and what action to take.

Visit our RSV page, where our health lead, Amanda, answers some of the most common questions about RSV, its main symptoms and preventative steps you can take. You can also read this information in Polish, Arabic, Somali and Welsh.

Or you can listen to our podcast all about RSV in English, Polish, Arabic, Somali and Welsh.

Read mum Becky’s story about the time her baby daughter developed serious breathing problems after catching a winter cold which developed into bronchiolitis.


School transport is an integral part of the school day for some disabled children.

But as local authorities struggle with severely reduced budgets, some are looking at ways of reducing their spend through changes to school transport arrangements for disabled children.

This has sadly been happening for several years. But last week a government minister said provisions of home to school transport needed to be ‘revisited’.

The law is very clear

Una Summerson, Head of Policy at Contact, said: “We understand the very real difficulties that local authorities have with their squeezed budgets, but it isn’t fair to balance the books on the backs of families with disabled children. What’s more the law is very clear on what transport must be provided to disabled children.

“We have seen school transport policies placing emphasis on cost cutting rather than transport based on individual need and legal entitlements. It places all responsibility on parents which adds unnecessary extra pressure on family life.”

Disabled children are more likely to travel further to nursery, school or college. Unlike their non-disabled peers, many can’t travel independently, even as they reach secondary school age. For these reasons, school transport is a vital service.

Information about your child’s rights to school transport

We have information about transport to school and college in England and how to challenge school transport policy. 

We also have information about transport to school and college in Scotland, Wales and in Northern Ireland.

The DWP has started the ‘managed migration’ process of asking people on tax credits and other means-tested benefits to claim Universal Credit (UC), even if they have had no change in circumstances.

We have heard from countless parent carers who are concerned about how they will be affected by moving onto UC from their legacy benefits – especially as many families with disabled children end up worse off under Universal Credit.

So last week, our Family Finance team ran a special Q&A session in our Facebook Group for parent carers so that families could get specialist advice about the UC managed migration process.

To help those who weren’t able to take part in the Q&A, we’ve rounded up below some of the top questions asked during the session.

You can visit our Facebook Group to read through the rest of the Q&A, or take a look at our online advice for more information about Universal Credit and the managed migration process.

1. My migration notice says I have to claim UC by 5 February. What’s the latest date I could claim without missing out on transitional protection?

It is up to you whether you claim Universal Credit straight away or wait until closer to your deadline day to claim. If you claim before your deadline day, any tax credits you get will stop from the day before you claimed UC. Any other legacy benefits will stop two weeks after the date you claimed Universal Credit.

If you claim UC on (or after) your deadline day, any tax credits will stop from the day before your deadline day. Any other legacy benefits you get will stop two weeks after your deadline day.

Your deadline day of 5 February is the day on which your tax credits will end. If you choose to claim earlier, they will end on the day that you claim. Even if you miss the deadline of 5 February, you should still be OK. This is because you have a further month after your deadline day within which you can claim Universal Credit and still be eligible for transitional protection. This is known as your ‘final deadline day’.

So in your case, your final deadline day would be 4 March. This means that so long as a valid claim for Universal Credit is made by 4 March, your claim would be automatically backdated and you will still be eligible for transitional protection.

However, there are two potential problems with waiting until closer to the final deadline day. Firstly, the gap between your tax credits stopping and your Universal Credit payments starting will be even longer than the normal five weeks (as your tax credits will definitely end on 5 February at the latest). And secondly, you might run out of time if you have any last-minute problems in getting your UC claim completed.

2. My husband and I have two children on DLA. Can he also claim the UC ‘carer element’ despite his earnings being over the limit for Carer’s Allowance?

Under Universal Credit rules, you get an extra carer element of £185.86 per month if you are either eligible for Carer’s Allowance or if the only reason you are not eligible for Carer’s Allowance is because your earnings are too high. So yes, so long as your husband meets the other Carer’s Allowance tests (e.g. that he provides 35 hours a week of care; that he is not claiming as a carer for the same child as you; and that he is not in full-time education) then he will qualify for a carer element for him as part of your Universal Credit award – despite the fact that his earnings prevent an actual Carer’s Allowance award. This should mean that you can get two carer elements in total.

Our website has more information about the carer element, as well as other extra amounts you may be eligible for depending on your family’s circumstances.

3. Will Universal Credit force my husband and I to look for work, even if I get Carer’s Allowance?

The Universal Credit rules make clear that you cannot be asked to take part in any work-related activities like job-seeking if you are eligible for Carer’s Allowance (or if the only thing that stops you being eligible for Carer’s Allowance is that your earnings are too high). Since this applies to you, Universal Credit cannot force you to look for work or take part in any other work-related activities.

However, although you can’t be expected to look for work, there is a risk that your partner might. Where two people both provide 35 hours or more of care to the same disabled person, only one of them will be treated as a carer and be automatically exempted from work-related conditions. The other carer is usually expected to take part in work-related activities like job-seeking. If this happens to your partner, they should call our free Helpline on 0808 808 3555 to get advice about how to request that Universal Credit use their discretionary power to also treat your partner as a carer and exempt them from any work-related conditions. The number of hours you would be expected to work, if not classed as a carer, will depend on your own situation (for example, any health or disability-related problems).

But if you and your husband each care for a different person (for example, if you have two children who get DLA or PIP), then you would both be treated as carers under UC. This applies even if your husband does not qualify for Carer’s Allowance, so long as the reason why he doesn’t qualify is because his earnings are too high. In this case, neither of you would be asked to look for work or increase your working hours.

4. I believe I would be better off on UC. If I claim it voluntarily, what support would be available while my claim is processed?

We would strongly advise that you seek detailed 1-2-1 advice before volunteering to claim Universal Credit early. The reason for this is that people who choose to claim Universal Credit before they receive a managed migration notice from the DWP are not eligible for any transitional protection payments to make sure they won’t be left worse off. You need to be careful, as many families with a disabled child are worse off under Universal Credit – and once you claim Universal Credit, you cannot move back onto your old legacy benefits. Transitional protection is only available for those who claim after they have received a managed migration notice and because of this, you need to be 100% sure that you really will be better off on Universal Credit. You can double-check your likely entitlement to Universal Credit by contacting a local advice service such as Citizens Advice or by calling our free helpline.

If you do choose to claim, your existing legacy benefits will end straight away and you will have a five-week wait before you get any Universal Credit. You can apply for an advance payment if you are in financial hardship while you are waiting, but this is a loan from the DWP that will be recovered by them making a regular deduction from your monthly Universal Credit payments.

5. I’ve been told it can take up to six weeks to get UC. Do we get any help towards bills in the meantime?

You’re right that there is usually a wait of at least five weeks before you get your first UC payment after lodging a claim. If the delay in waiting for Universal Credit payments to start would cause you financial issues, then it is possible to ask for an advance payment. An advance is effectively a loan from the DWP that you will need to repay by having a regular deduction made from your monthly Universal Credit payments, once these start. Unfortunately, this does mean that your Universal Credit payments would then be lower than they normally should be for a period of time while you’re paying back the DWP for the advance loan.

If you are thinking of claiming Universal Credit early (before you receive a managed migration notice), you should seek detailed advice first to make sure that you will not end up worse off. The reason for this is that people who choose to claim Universal Credit before they receive a managed migration notice from the DWP are not eligible for any transitional protection payments. You need to be careful, as many families with a disabled child who volunteer to claim early are left worse off under Universal Credit. And once you claim Universal Credit, you cannot move back onto your old legacy benefits. Transitional protection payments to ensure you are no worse off under are only available to those who claim Universal Credit after they have received a managed migration notice.

Depending on your circumstances, there may also be other sources of support available to help with household costs such as water, fuel and other utility bills.

Children and babies with certain health conditions can be more susceptible to common seasonal viral and bacterial infections and their body may struggle to fight off the illness. So as the party season starts and we’re mixing more with others, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of common winter viruses.

To help, we have lots of information about RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and Strep A – two of the most common and contagious causes of coughs and colds in winter.

We also have information on your getting the flu and Covid vaccines for your child.

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and bronchiolitis

RSV may cause a cough or cold in children and adults, but in young children it is the main cause of bronchiolitis. In fact, it’s the most common cause of bronchiolitis in children under two. 

Most cases of bronchiolitis are mild, and children recover without treatment within two to three weeks. Some children are more vulnerable to the virus and breathing problems, so it is important to look out for more serious problems.

Find out more about the signs and symptoms of RSV.

Strep A

Strep A (formally called Group A Streptococcus or iGAS) is a common type of bacteria often found on the skin or in the throat. The bacteria can cause many different infections. Some are mild, like ‘Strep throat’, and some are rarer but more serious, like invasive GAS infection (iGAS).

Find out more about the signs and symptoms of Strep A.

Flu

Flu is caused by a virus that can be a very unpleasant illness for children and lead to serious problems like bronchitis or pneumonia. Children also help to spread flu. The flu season starts in September and runs through the winter.

The flu vaccine is offered every year on the NHS to help prevent people from getting seriously ill from flu. Vaccinating your child protects them and others vulnerable to it. People with a learning disability are more likely to develop pneumonia if they get flu. 

Find out more about the flu vaccine, including who is eligible for a free flu vaccination.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has started the process of asking people on tax credits and other means tested benefits to claim Universal Credit, even if they have had no change in circumstances. This process is known as ‘managed migration’ onto Universal Credit.

Each month, tens of thousands of claimants receive a managed migration notice telling them that their legacy benefits will stop and that they need to claim Universal Credit instead. However, you aren’t transferred onto Universal Credit automatically. Instead, you need to make a claim for Universal Credit and will have a deadline to do this by.

Make sure you’re not worse off on Universal Credit

Many families with a disabled child end up worse off under Universal Credit. And if you miss your final deadline, you won’t be eligible for any transitional protection to make up the difference. Transitional protection rules are supposed to ensure that families who would qualify for lower payments under Universal Credit receive top-up payments so that they are no worse off than before.

Join our Facebook Q&A – Thursday 30 November, 10 – 11.30 am

Advisers from our Family Finance Team are inviting you to ask any questions you have about managed migration to Universal Credit at a special Q&A session on Thursday 30 November between 10am – 11.30 am on our Facebook page. Join us to find out how to make sure you’re not worse off when you claim Universal Credit.

Can’t make Thursday?

We have lots of information you can read about managed migration onto Universal Credit

How to join the Q&A session

To take part in the Q&A, you must be a member of our Facebook Group for parent carers. Simply request to join, make sure to answer the three membership questions when prompted, and one of our moderators will add you to our community.

At 10am on Thursday, our team will share a special Q&A post in the group where parent carers can ask their questions in writing in the comments. Our advisers will be on hand to answer any questions asked between 10am and 11:30am.

The Q&A session will be carried out in writing, so there’s no need to take the morning off to watch a livestream! Simply pop by the group anytime between 10-11:30am to leave a comment with your question, and then pop back later to see our reply.

Some questions are more complex and may take us a bit longer to answer, but don’t worry: we will reply to all questions asked between 10 and 11.30am.

More information about financial support 

You can find out more about grants and other sources of financial support on our website, as well as in our Money Matters guides for families in England and Wales or in Scotland. 

Use the online Grants Search tool to look for organisations that may help to fund adaptations, products and services for your disabled child, or download our lists of charities who provide general grants and educational grants to families. 


On Wednesday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out the government’s plans for the economy in his Autumn Statement. Read our CEO’s response.

Below we outline some of the main benefit changes relevant to families with disabled children.

Benefit changes at a glance

The Chancellor announced:

Response to consultation on proposed changes to the work capability assessment

The work capability assessment is a disability assessment the government uses to decide how much benefit disabled adults on certain benefits like Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance should receive. It also determines whether they should be look for work while claiming that benefit.

There are three possible outcomes of a work capability assessment:

The government intends to scrap the work capability assessment and replace it with the Personal Independence Payment assessment. However, that change is not expected to take place until 2026/27 at the earliest.

In the meantime, the government intends making changes to the work capability assessment. This will see a reduction in the number of new claimants having a LCWRA. In responding to a consultation, the government has confirmed that it plans to make these changes from April 2025, for new claims only.

If you have a limited capability for work, you don’t have to look for work, but you must still take part in work-related activities to get you more ready for work. For example, you may have to take part in training. Having a limited capability for work does not lead to any additional benefit payments.

However, if you have LCWRA, you won’t need to meet any work-related conditions like job seeking or training. You’re also eligible for an extra amount of benefit. 

Changes the government is proposing

Substantial risk to health

The government plans to amend the rules that allow a disabled person to be treated as having a LCWRA where taking part in work-related activity would place them or others at ‘substantial risk’. These rules will become more restrictive.

Although yet to announce full details about how it will apply the new rules, the government says that it will protect those with physical health problems. This means that where being taking part in work-related activities would lead to a deterioration in your physical health, the government will protect you as someone at substantial risk. 

Mobilising

It also plans to remove difficulties with mobilising from the list of activities used when deciding whether someone has a LCWRA. Currently those who cannot mobilise for more than 50m without pain or discomfort are one of the groups having a LCWRA.

The government claims that those with the most significant mobilising needs will not lose out as a result of this change. Instead, the substantial risk rules will treat them as having a LCWRA.

Difficulties in physically mobilising will still factor in deciding whether someone has a limited capability for work.

Getting around

In assessing whether someone has a limited capability for work, there will be a reduction in points awarded for difficulties in getting around without the help of another person, for example due to mental health problems. 

Other changes consulted on

The government has decided that it will not proceed with proposed changes in how the work capability assessment deals with problems with incontinence or in engaging in social engagement.

Need advice?

We have lots of information and advice about benefits and tax credits and money and debt.


Yesterday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out the government’s plans for the economy in his Autumn Statement.

Measures announced include:

Read the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in full.

Our CEO responds to the Autumn Statement

Anna Bird, Chief Executive of disability charity Contact, said: “Now into a second year of sky-high costs for food, heating, rent and mortgages, families with disabled children say they face a constant battle to keep afloat. Disappointingly there was little in yesterday’s Autumn statement to alleviate the hardship many are experiencing.

“There was no targeted support and no commitment to a social tariff to help with families’ higher energy costs. Families with disabled children pay £1,600 a year more than other households for their energy, to run vital equipment like ventilators, adjustable beds, hoists and suction pumps. They now face a difficult winter without the support they desperately need.

“The Chancellor chose to focus on tax cuts rather than investing in public services that disabled children and their families depend on. Families are exhausted from filling gaps in support for physiotherapy, speech and language, as well as mental health services. Over the last 10 years support services have been cut back and families are left to do more, often complex care. This has devastating impacts on their wellbeing and their ability to be in paid employment.

“On top of this the lack of action on fixing the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit, is another blow to those families who would like to combine caring with paid employment.”

We will spell out what the Autumn Statement 2023 means for families with disabled children in more detail soon.

Need help with your finances?

We have lots of information and advice about benefits and tax credits and money and debt.


In the last 12 months there has been a 21% increase in calls to Contact’s helpline about exclusions of disabled children from schools. Of particular concern is that younger children with an additional need are facing exclusion – some aged just four and five.

Our Head of Policy Una Summerson was interviewed on Sky News about the situation and families also spoke out about the impact on their children.

Anna Bird, Chief Executive of disability charity Contact, said: “The impact of exclusion can be devastating on a disabled child. It makes them feel isolated and affects their confidence and attendance, as they don’t feel like they belong in the school environment. Parents are often unable to work.

Last resort

“Exclusion of a disabled child should only be used as a last resort. There is a legal requirement for schools to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children, such as providing a quiet space or teaching in a small group. We know that exclusions often happen due to lack of support.”

Disabled children have always been disproportionately affected by exclusions. But as schools struggle with budget cuts there is less access to specialists such as Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists. In addition there are fewer special school places and there are long waiting times for assessments. This has led to the situation getting worse.

There are lots of schools who do everything possible to avoid exclusion, ensuring children get assessed and using reasonable adjustments, such as providing a safe space or allowing the use of ear defenders.

Not following behaviour policy

But in some cases, schools aren’t following their own behaviour policy or government guidance. Some are excluding children illegally, asking a parent to collect their child at lunchtime because they are having a bad day or telling a child not to attend a particular activity.

It is feeding into the growing problem of persistent absence, as disabled children faced with seclusion and exclusion don’t feel they belong in the school environment. Absence rates for disabled pupils are significantly higher than their non-disabled peers.

Anna Bird added: “We’d like to see government invest more in SEN support in schools. There needs to be a strong focus on the specialist workforce and support is needed within schools to make disabled pupils feel welcome and included in the school environment.”

Is your child affected by exclusion or behaviour management at school?

We have lots of information and advice to help you.


Today, MPs debate the Kings Speech, which sets out the government’s plan for the year ahead. Opposition MPs are using the debate to highlight data that shows over two million children could be regularly missing school by 2025 if the number of pupils absent from classrooms continues at the current rate – one in four of all children currently at primary and secondary school.

Contact welcomes the focus on persistent absence and calls for greater understanding of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and why they feature so prevalently in persistent absence figures.

Unmet need

Una Summerson, Contact’s Head of Policy, said: “Absence rates for pupils with SEND are significantly higher than their peers. And they are rising, especially across special schools. This is often down to unmet need.

“Just under 40% of calls to Contact’s helpline come from parents who say the school or local authority is not providing the right support for their child. We also hear from parents that the school environment and culture is sometimes detrimental to their child’s needs.

“A focus on mental health is important, but we also need to look at other reasons that children with SEN may be absent. This includes medical reasons, a lack of support in school, delays in assessment for support, lack of suitable school places and disproportionate use of exclusion on children with SEND.”

There is also a disproportionate number of pupils with SEND who are home educated, with reported pressures to do so. Contact has long called for a compulsory register of children who are home educated.

Earlier this year Contact submitted evidence to a parliamentary inquiry on persistent absence. The committee’s report stated: “growing demand for mental health services and special educational needs support, as well as cost-of-living pressures, have compounded a problem that worsened following the Covid lockdowns but remains present”.

Advice for families whose children are absent from school

We have information for parents about absence from school for medical reasons, how to support children back to school after a period of absence and the use of fines for parents whose children are persistently absent.

We recently hosted a special Facebook Q&A session where parent carers could get our team’s advice about grants, home adaptations and other sources of financial support available to families with disabled children.

To help those who weren’t able to take part, we’ve rounded up below some of the top questions asked during the session — but the rest of the Q&A remains available to read over at our private Facebook Group for parent carers.

You can also browse our online advice for more information about financial assistance for families — including grants, home adaptations, and other sources of support that can help towards the cost of household bills, health, education or transport.

Is it difficult to get funding for a specialist bed for travelling if your child already has a specialist bed for everyday use?

It can indeed be difficult to get funding for two beds, but it is not just about two beds – it’s about the needs of the child or young person. People with disabilities are often isolated because of their needs and what it entails for them to go on holiday or sleep over at nan’s house like other children.

I would suggest you make a point about the necessity of having these beds in away days from home, explaining how the lack of it at particular locations affects your child’s wellbeing and you as their parent carer.

Statutory organisations may not readily fund this, but it’s worth asking either way. You can also use the online Grants Search tool or download our list of general grant-giving charities for information about organisations that may be able to help based on your circumstances. You may have to try more than one organisation for this, but it’s worth giving it a go!

Are there any grants to help with converting a loft into a bigger bedroom for my autistic teen? He is 6ft tall and has no room to play as his double bed takes up all the space.

You could submit a request for a Disabled Facilities Grant (or home improvement grant, if you live in Scotland) to use for the purpose of providing a safe space for your child. Most local authorities will ask for an assessment from an occupational therapist or social services to help them decide if the work is ‘necessary and appropriate’ to meet your disabled child’s needs. Take a look at our Home Adaptations webpage for more information about the application process, eligibility rules and timescales involved.

We would also advise that you contact a local Home Improvement Agency service if there’s one in your area. They can offer practical help with home adaptations and improvements.

We’ve been told that a sensory shed and spa in the garden could help with my child’s needs, but my local authority said they’re not responsible for this. What can I do?

Am I correct in assuming that you are seeking planning permission from your local authority for building the sensory shed, as well as putting in a spa, as an initial step before requesting a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to fund the work? If this is the case, you may not need such permission. You can request a DFG directly through a formal application.

A DFG is a mandatory grant. This means you must be given a grant if your local authority is satisfied that the work to your home is both ‘necessary and appropriate’ to meet your disabled child’s needs, and ‘reasonable and practicable’, considering the age and condition of the property.

If you have already formalised your DFG request and have received a decision in writing, you may wish to consider making a formal complaint about your local authority’s failure to progress your application.

Our council house has an upstairs bathroom that constantly floods. It’s a battle taking my disabled child to the toilet. Can I get help with converting our shed into a downstairs toilet for her?

I would advise that you contact your local authority’s social services team to request a Child in Need assessment for your child (or to ask for a review of her assessment, if she already had one) with a view of highlighting this ongoing situation. They may be able to support you with requesting planning permission to build in the shed, which could be funded by a Disabled Facilities Grant. Another alternative many be rehousing your family in order to meet your child’s needs.

In the meantime, you may wish to consider approaching grant-giving organisations that could help you meet other related needs – for example, with household items that may require frequent changing due to flooding issues. You can use the Grants Search tool on our website to see what help may be available, as well as download our list of grant-giving charities for a summary about what each organisation can help with.

Over the next few years, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will ask all legacy benefits claimants to claim Universal Credit instead.

This part of the process of rolling out Universal Credit across the UK is called managed migration. Managed migration is itself being rolled out across the country in stages. It has already started for tax credits-only claimants in most places and will next apply to claimants of other legacy benefits.

Can I claim Universal Credit before the DWP asks me to?

The DWP has already introduced Universal Credit for new claims. This means legacy benefits claimants can make a new claim for Universal Credit before the DWP asks them to.

But be careful!

Some people are worse off under Universal Credit. The government has promised to transitionally protect some existing legacy benefits claimants who’ll receive less, but only if they moved onto Universal Credit via managed migration. For this reason, you should seek specialist advice before voluntarily claiming Universal Credit.

Why you need to know what the managed migration notice looks like

When the DWP asks you to move onto Universal Credit, they’ll send you a “migration notice” in writing that your legacy benefits will be ending and you need to claim Universal Credit instead.

We’ve heard from families who’ve received a Universal Credit information leaflet before this time and have mistakenly assumed this to be the migration notice. Problems then arise if they go onto claim Universal Credit voluntarily, because any loss in their award won’t be transitionally protected.

For this reason, it’s important you know what the migration notice looks like.

What to look out for

In the notice, you’ll receive a date three months from the date on your migration notice within which to make a claim for Universal Credit. This is known as your deadline day. You should therefore make sure what you’re looking at has a clear deadline date on it.

The bottom of the migration notice states, “This is a migration notice issued under regulation 44 of the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2014”, on each page.

Below is a picture of the front page of the migration notice:

Example of the front page of Universal Credit migration notice letter.

You can also download this image as a PDF file.

Related information

Teenager and parent standing face to face

Universal Credit

Universal Credit is a new benefit for people of working age. It is paid both to people who are out of work and to those in employment.

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Moving onto Universal Credit from legacy benefits

If you currently claim one of the legacy benefits Universal Credit is replacing, we explain how you might move over to that benefit.

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Changes in circumstances

Certain changes in circumstances can mean that the benefits you receive for your disabled child or for your family might change.

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The Department for Communities has confirmed that the process of asking existing means tested benefits claimants in Northern Ireland to move onto Universal Credit – known as managed migration – is starting this month.

Initially, this will only apply to claimants who only receive Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit and not any other means-tested benefits. The Department for Communities says that it will be randomly selecting ‘tax-credit-only claimants’ and sending them managed migration notices.

This will be happening in all Northern Ireland postcode areas.

What happens after I receive a managed migration notice?

You will not be moved onto Universal Credit automatically – instead, you will need to make a claim. You will be sent a letter telling you that your existing legacy benefits are ending and asking you to claim Universal Credit. This is known as a managed migration notice.

The notice you gives you a deadline by which you need to claim Universal Credit. This is normally at least 3 months from the date of your managed migration notice.

Your legacy benefit payments will stop on the date you claim Universal Credit, or on your deadline day if you haven’t lodged a claim for Universal Credit by then. If you haven’t claimed by your deadline day, you will have a further month within which to claim Universal Credit (although your legacy benefits will have already stopped). This is known as your final deadline.

So long as you claim by your final deadline, you will be eligible for transitional protection payments to make sure that you are no worse off on Universal Credit.

More information about moving onto Universal Credit

You can take a look at our online information for more advice about the Universal Credit managed migration process, or use the Benefits Calculator to see what other benefits you may be eligible for.

The deadline for applying for a secondary school place in England is Tuesday 31 October.  

If you’re applying for a place for your son or daughter, then we have advice for you.  

(Note: This is for applications for children without Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. Read more about the admissions system for children with EHC plans.)

Visit our webpage on applying for a school place to find out: 

Our webpage on finding the right school explains where you can find information about the schools you’re looking at, and what kind of questions to think about when making your choice.  

You can also listen to our podcast episode about applying to a secondary school place. 

For other school-related queries, you can browse our education webpages, use our FAQs tool or contact our helpline team to get specialist advice. 

Read the Education Hub blog for further information from the Department for Education.

Don’t live in England?

Take a look at our education advice for families in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Could your child have a pot of cash sat waiting to be claimed? We are here to help you find out.

Piggy bank with Child Trust Fund written on the side

What is a Child Trust Fund?

If your child was born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, the government gave you a voucher worth between £250 and £750 to encourage you to open a Child Trust Fund.

You could then add further savings to the account if you wished. The idea was that you’d invest these vouchers to build a nest egg for your child’s future.

No one would be able to access the savings until your child reached the age of 18.

What if I didn’t invest my child’s voucher?

Good news. If you were one of the 1.7 million parents who forgot to do anything with the voucher, the government invested the voucher on your child’s behalf.

Is it worth the hassle in tracking the account down?

We think so! There’s likely to be a minimum of £100-£500 in the account, and the average balance is £2,100.

I think I remember investing, but I’ve lost the details.

Even if you have lost the details, forgotten where the voucher was invested or simply did nothing with it, all is not lost. Visit Find a Child Trust Fund (www.gov.uk) to find your provider.

I now know the provider – what next?

If your child is 16 or older and has mental capacity, they can contact the provider themselves. They will not be able to access their savings until 18. If they are 18 and older, they can choose to spend or reinvest their savings.

What if my child is able to make decisions for themselves, but would like someone else to manage their finances?

The Ministry of Justice has recently launched the ‘Making finance decisions for young people: parent and carer’ toolkit. This guide explains more about mental capacity and covers issues such as obtaining Lasting Power of Attorney.

What if my child doesn’t have mental capacity?

Unfortunately, if your child is unable to independently able to manage their own money, the process is less straightforward.

We are working hard alongside parent campaigner Andrew Turner to change this through our Child Trust Fund campaign.

If your child is under 18, speak with their Child Trust Fund account provider. Some have put in place a scheme, applied on a case-by-case basis, that avoids the need to apply to the Court of Protection.

If your child is 18 years old or over, you will not be able to speak to the provider without your child’s consent. And if your child is unable to give consent because they do not have mental capacity, you will need the Court of Protection order to access the funds on your child’s behalf.

More information can be found on the gov.uk website.

How can I support the Child Trust Fund campaign?

Send your MP our template email asking them to raise this issue with ministers.

Please share the campaign with your friends and family, as so many families are unaware that their child even has a Child Trust Fund.